Practice What You Preach

Voltaire, being one of the most influential philosophers in the Enlightenment, and a predecessor of the French Revolution, was bound to include some of the reality his country was facing at the time Candide was written. Although the setting of the novel doesn’t relate perfectly to Voltaire’s reality, the main issues regarding society are still present.

“’Men,’ he said, ‘must have somewhat altered the course of nature; for they were not born wolves, yet they have become wolves. God did not give them twenty-four-pounders or bayonets, yet they have made themselves bayonets and guns to destroy each other.” (pg 31).

Through Pangloss’ speech, Voltaire voices his concern over mankind and what it has turned out to be. Although he did believe in God, he didn’t believe in the God of the Bible, or any other being in sacred texts. By comparing men to wolves, he not only reduced human kind to being mere animals, he also implies that we are beings that cannot control our instincts, and have no notion of right and wrong, and are therefore unable to take the correct decisions to benefit ourselves and others.

He says that we have evolved in a way that is harmful towards us and the environment around us. However, this entails that we once had a choice. We had the possibility of turning out well and taking the correct decisions, yet we failed and the wrong turns we took determine where we stand today.

This strong critique towards society and war has a deep meaning, especially considering who wrote it and the role he had in French independence. His revolutionary ideas led the country towards war, and although the nation gained its freedom, it also lost a lot of people, ideas and culture along the way.